Classic 1957 Hi-Lo Diner opens on E. Lake St.

James Brown, one of four co-owners of the Hi-Lo Diner, in front of the iconic diner he had shipped to Minnesota last year. He explained, “Diner cars are always built modularly, so they can be taken apart and put back together again on site. This one traveled all the way from Pennsylvania on the back of two semi-trucks. It’s been the most complicated, and the most satisfying project, I’ve ever worked on.” (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

East Lake Street has always had an eclectic mix of businesses—used car dealerships, tattoo parlors, and restaurants. But it’s never seen the likes of the Hi-Lo Diner, 1957 Fedora Diner that opened its silvery doors on, Mar. 28. A vacant Taco Bell previously stood on this site at 4020 E. Lake St. for eight years

Only about 4,000 factory-built diners were ever manufactured in America. This one operated as the Venus Diner in Gibsonia, PA from 1957-2007.. After idling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike until 2014, it was spotted by James Brown and Mike Smith, co-owners of Brownsmith Restoration. The two also co-own Forage Modern Workshop, which is across the street from the Hi-Lo Diner.

Brown said, “We’d been in the Forage building for nearly five years, all the while looking out the window at the abandoned Taco Bell and wondering how we could make that site better. I read an article about diner cars, searched around on the internet and found the Venus Diner. It struck me as a real Cadillac of a diner, so we bought it.”

Brown and Smith have years of experience in construction and design, but they knew they needed savvy skills to help run the restaurant. As Brown said, “The creative partnership is what makes it all so fun.” Jeremy Woerner and Pat McDonough, co-owners of the Blue Door Restaurants, were brought in as equal partners with Brown and Smith. The Blue Door folks will be responsible for operations of the Hi-Lo Diner, with executive chef Heidi Marsh managing the kitchen.

“You can expect classic American diner cooking,” Brown said, “with the very best local ingredients.” In addition to that, Dan Oskey of Tattersall Distillery in NE Minneapolis has created the cocktail menu, complete with ice cream drinks for all seasons.

Brown grew up in the small Montana town of Ennis, population 800. Central to his and Smith’s vision for the Hi-Lo Diner is, “creating a sense of Main St. on E. Lake.” They want everyone to feel welcome, from young kids to high school students to senior citizens. Rebekah Cook, a colleague of Brown’s, added, “We’re not trying to create a vintage experience here. None of the 40+ staff people will be wearing poodle skirts or roller skates. We’re about creating classic food in an iconic setting, not about trying to live in the past.”

The diner will be open long hours: Sunday–Thursday, 6:30am until 12:30am; Fri.–Sat. 6:30am until 2:30am. The patio will close each night at 10pm seasonally.  The diner will seat 70 (with 12 swiveling stools at the bar), and the patio will seat 50. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis (no reservations). Both the diner and the patio are handicapped-accessible.

The co-owners have gone to great lengths to keep the interior and exterior of the diner as original as possible. According to Brown, “We tore through five layers of upholstery on the booths to get down to the bottom, then matched that fabric exactly for color and texture. “ Just about the only thing they brought in were ceiling fixtures from Architectural Antiques up in NE Minneapolis. They also were able to save two walls and the freezer unit from the old Taco Bell.

Brown said of creating the Hi-Lo Diner, “I’ve never been more proud of anything I’ve done for work. This will be the one and only authentic diner in Minneapolis; the only other in the whole state is Mickey’s Diner in downtown St. Paul.”

Named for the Hiawa­tha-Longfellow neighborhood which has become its second home, the Hi-Lo Diner promises to be an affordable, family-friendly, tasty and memorable destination for many years to come.